In a small Kansas town where the earthy pulse of the Westcott Packing Company sets the rhythm of daily life, the arrival of Father John Carlisle, the new rector at St. Alban's Church, stirs more than just spiritual curiosity. As the powerful Todd Westcott and his family, pillars of the community, navigate their complex web of social obligations, young Gilda Westcott returns home, her life upended by a recent divorce.

Amid a backdrop of looming twisters and the relentless machinery of the meat-packing plant, Gilda and Father Carlisle's paths cross, setting off a chain of events that challenges the fabric of tradition and faith in this tightly-knit community. As secrets unravel, and loyalties are tested, the residents of Jericho must confront their deepest desires and fears under the shadow of the imposing smokestacks.